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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · stock · scale · pitcher · bank · tube · ruler · calf

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — of a river
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — in music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stock — goods
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — a container
  14. chest — a box
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bank — for money
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com